I have a feeling green tea has become the tea we’re all supposed to love.
It’s everywhere. Wellness conversations, morning routines, skincare trends, and those beautiful matcha drinks that somehow make an ordinary afternoon look more interesting.
And honestly, I get it.
Green tea can be wonderful. Fresh, grassy, sometimes sweet. But I’ve started wondering why we talk about it as though it’s the obvious choice, while darker teas barely get a mention.
Because what about a rich black tea? Or a roasted oolong? Or a Pu-erh that develops an entirely different character with age?
I think we’re missing quite a lot.
Somewhere along the way, green tea became associated with being healthier and more refined. Its antioxidants receive plenty of attention, while darker teas sometimes get treated as though processing has made them less valuable.
But tea isn’t quite that simple.
Black tea undergoes extensive oxidation, while oolong can fall anywhere across a broad spectrum. These processes change the leaves’ chemistry and flavour, but they don’t automatically make one tea better than another.
And personally, I’d rather choose my tea based on what I enjoy drinking.
There’s something lovely about the malty richness of Assam, the roasted depth of certain oolongs, or the earthy character of ripe Pu-erh. They’re different experiences, and not everyone will enjoy them equally.
That’s perfectly fine.
What bothers me is how easily trends become rules. We discover something popular, convince ourselves it’s the best option, and forget there’s an entire world beyond it.
Maybe that’s why I think the green tea obsession deserves a little questioning.
Not because green tea is overrated in itself, but because no single tea should define what good tea looks like.
Some days, a light green tea might be exactly what I want. Other days, something darker and fuller sounds much more appealing.
I don’t think we need to choose sides.
Green tea can keep its popularity.
I’d just like us to remember that some of the most interesting cups aren’t green at all.
— Maria Tan
On tea, culture, and everyday rituals.
Understanding Tea Beyond the Cup
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Clifford Pier High Tea Review: Local Flavours by the Waterfront
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The Quiet Lessons a Cup of Tea Can Teach
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A Journey Through Popular Bubble Tea Brands and Shops: Bubble Tea Singapore
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Tea in a World That Never Pauses
Scrolling through my feed this morning, I realized something. We live in a world that barely stops. Notifications pile up. Videos play automatically. Messages arrive faster than we can read them. Every surface seems to demand attention. And then there is tea. A cup of tea does not ping. It does not scroll. It does…
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From Plantation to Cup: The Journey of Sri Lanka’s Black Tea Pekoe
Black tea pekoe is all about whole-leaf black tea made from those long leaves and buds, usually the youngest ones right near the shoot tips. And when you hear Orange Pekoe, it’s not about orange flavor at all; it’s actually the name of that grade. For tea lovers or anyone curious about quality Sri Lankan…
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To the Tea Lovers and the Tea That Holds Us
I want to write a letter, not to anyone in particular, but to the quiet ritual that has accompanied so many of our days. To the tea in our cups and to the people who take the time to notice it. Tea is patient. It waits for us when we are rushing. It sits quietly…
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What Is Rooibos Tea: Red Gold in Your Cup, the Science and Benefits
There is a certain hour when the day loosens its grip. The coffee has long gone cold. Black tea feels like too much. And yet the kettle still calls, because the ritual matters more than the caffeine. This is where rooibos often arrives. A deep russet red pouring into the cup, warm and unhurried, carrying…
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The Cup I Always Return To
There is one tea I always return to, even after tasting countless others. It is not rare. It is not expensive. The leaves are ordinary, the aroma familiar. And yet, it has a way of anchoring me, no matter the day or the mood. I first drank it years ago, during a week that felt…
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Where to Buy Turkish Tea: Finding Authentic Çay for the True Turkish Tea Experience
The first time I understood Turkish tea, I was not drinking it in a café. I was standing in a small shop, watching a man refuse to sell me the wrong thing. I had pointed at a shiny box of flavoured black tea, and he shook his head, quietly, the way someone corrects a friend…
